Ice hockey runner-blade assembly

Abstract

A customizable hockey skate includes a removable runner-blade assembly such that a runner-blade assembly having a first stiffness may be readily replaced with a runner-blade assembly having a second stiffness. The runner-blade assembly may be removably attached to first and second cups that are optionally removably attached to the sole of a skate boot. The first and second cups optionally are removably attachable at multiple lateral locations on the sole. Mounting plates to which the first and second cups are mounted may be included to provide damping interfaces between the first and second cups and the boot sole. The first and second cups may be separately removable from the sole such that the first cup may be replaced with a third cup (for example, a cup having a different stiffness than the first cup) without removal of the second cup.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hockey skate, comprising:
 a boot including a sole;   a first cup attached to the sole;   a second cup attached to the sole;   a runner-blade assembly removably attached to the first and second cups.   
     
     
         2 . The hockey skate of  claim 1  wherein the runner-blade assembly comprises a runner integrated with a skate blade. 
     
     
         3 . The hockey skate of  claim 2  wherein the first cup and the second cup have different vibration-damping properties than the runner. 
     
     
         4 . The hockey skate of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second cups is removably attached to the sole. 
     
     
         5 . The hockey skate of  claim 4  wherein the first cup and the second cup are separately removable from the sole such that the first cup may be replaced with a third cup without removal of the second cup. 
     
     
         6 . The hockey skate of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second cups is removably attachable at multiple lateral locations on the sole. 
     
     
         7 . The hockey skate of  claim 1  wherein the runner-blade assembly has a first stiffness, and wherein the first and second cups are configured to receive runner-blade assemblies having a different stiffness than the first stiffness. 
     
     
         8 . The hockey skate of  claim 1  further comprising a first mounting plate—to which the first cup is mounted—fixed to a first end of the boot, and a second mounting plate—to which the second cup is mounted—fixed to a second end of the boot. 
     
     
         9 . The hockey skate of  claim 8  wherein the first and second mounting plates each comprise a layer of damping material. 
     
     
         10 . The hockey skate of  claim 8  wherein the first and second mounting plates are made of different materials than the first and second cups. 
     
     
         11 . The hockey skate of  claim 1  wherein the first cup is made of a different material than the second cup. 
     
     
         12 . The hockey skate of  claim 1  wherein the runner-blade assembly comprises a runner removably attached to a skate blade such that the skate blade is attachable to runners having different stiffness properties. 
     
     
         13 . A hockey skate, comprising:
 a boot including a sole;   a first cup removably attached to the sole;   a second cup removably attached to the sole;   a runner-blade assembly attached to the first and second cups.   
     
     
         14 . The hockey skate of  claim 13  wherein the runner-blade assembly is removably attached to the first and second cups, and the first cup and the second cup are separately removable from the sole such that the first cup may be replaced with a third cup without removal of the second cup. 
     
     
         15 . The hockey skate of  claim 13  wherein at least one of the first and second cups is removably attachable at multiple lateral locations on the sole. 
     
     
         16 . The hockey skate of  claim 13  wherein the first cup is made of a different material than the second cup. 
     
     
         17 . The hockey skate of  claim 13  further comprising a first mounting plate—to which the first cup is mounted—fixed to a first end of the boot, and a second mounting plate—to which the second cup is mounted—fixed to a second end of the boot, wherein the first and second mounting plates are made of a different material than the first and second cups such that they provide damping interfaces between the first and second cups and the sole. 
     
     
         18 . A method of replacing a first runner-blade assembly with a second runner-blade assembly on a skate boot, wherein the first runner-blade assembly is attached to a first cup and a second cup, and wherein the first cup and the second cup are attached to a sole of the skate boot, comprising the steps of:
 detaching the first runner-blade assembly from the first cup and the second cup;   attaching the second runner-blade assembly to the first cup and the second cup.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the second runner-blade assembly has a different stiffness than the first runner-blade assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the detaching step comprises removing bolts that secure the first runner-blade assembly to the first and second cups.